Adventurer Hiro Iwamoto is the first totally blind person to cross the Pacific.
On the World Economic Forum’s #MeetTheLeader video podcast, Iwamoto is joined by crewmate Doug Smith to talk through the ups and downs of the incredible story, explore lessons of #leadership, and speak about the purpose revealed to him in a dream: ‘giving courage and hope to others’
Watch the full episode.
How can leaders move forward when pressure is high and the way is not clear? Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his ‘seeing eye Doug crewmate Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies for leaders in taking action despite uncertainty and what’s needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves.
Key takeaways:
Courage means moving forward without waiting for 100% information.
Find people who can solve problems, not just point them out.
How thinking in the present can prevent panic and enable decision-making.
Hiro is an adventurer, keynote speaker and the first totally blind person to sail across the Pacific. Doug had no sailing experience but became Hiro’s crewmate and navigator for that extraordinary trip. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments.
Recorded January 2026 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
About this episode:
Hiro: https://hiros-choice.com/
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Related Episodes:
Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets ‘non-goals’ — and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness.
Watch here — YouTube: • Why one CEO sets ‘non-goals’ — and what u…
Listen here — Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7
Read here — Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w.